Brief: Health center receives funds to visit underserved

The Westside Family Health Center received a $50,000 grant to support its free mobile health clinic, according to a statement released Tuesday.

The Rose Hills Foundation grant will support the center‚Äôs 36-foot mobile exam room unit, which brings medical services to seven locations around Santa Monica, including five high schools. The nonprofit Westside Family Health Center provides services to low-income and uninsured individuals regardless of their ability to pay.

It is important to bring services directly to underserved communities since it can be difficult for individuals to travel to health centers, said Debra Farmer, president and CEO of Westside Family Health Center.

Healthcare is also not readily available in some areas, Farmer said, and sometimes individuals do not feel comfortable sitting long in a waiting room.

“It‚Äôs a matter of building up a relationship with various people before they access healthcare,” Farmer said.

The fees and government assistance the nonprofit organization brings in don‚Äôt begin to cover the costs the center faces, Farmer said.

“We‚Äôre constantly out there looking for grant money to support our programs,” she added. “(This grant) will help us keep that mobile unit running.”

The Westside Family Health Center provides free services to more than 9,500 low-income and uninsured individuals in Santa Monica, according to the statement.